"Batman: Caped Crusader" Season One Talkback (Spoilers)

[Yojimbo]

Batman: Caped Crusader

Season One

The Caped Crusader emerges from the shadows.

Logline: Welcome to Gotham City, where criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human—the BATMAN. His one-man crusade for justice attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.

Starring: Hamish Linklater as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and featuring a star-studded ensemble cast including: Christina Ricci, Jamie Chung, Diedrich Bader, Minnie Driver, Mckenna Grace, Eric Morgan Stuart, Michelle C. Bonilla, Krystal Joy Brown, John DiMaggio, Paul Scheer, Reid Scott, Tom Kenny, Jason Watkins, Gary Anthony Williams, Dan Donohue, David Krumholtz, Haley Joel Osment and Toby Stephens

Directors: Christopher Berkeley, Matt Peters, Christina Sotta

Producers: Sam Register, Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams, Matt Reeves, Ed Brubaker, James Tucker, Daniel Pipski, Rachel Rusch Rich, John Agbaje, Jase Ricci, Halley Gross, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Gabriel Strick, Julie M. Osborn

Episode 1 "In Treacherous Waters" - August 1, 2024

A series of explosions rocks Gotham. Batman finds himself in the middle of a turf war between rival crime bosses Rupert Thorne and the Penguin. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon and his daughter Barbara look for ways to fix Gotham’s corrupt Criminal Justice System from the inside.

Episode 2 "...And Be A Villain" - August 1, 2024

When a glamorous movie star disappears, Batman and Detective Montoya find themselves tangled up in the dark web of a mysterious avenger haunting the soundstages.

Episode 3 "Kiss of the Catwoman" - August 1, 2024

After her multi-millionaire father goes to prison, leaving her strapped for cash, thrill-seeking dilettante Selina Kyle turns to a life of crime as the daring Catwoman, evading the law at every turn. Batman hatches a plan to end her crime spree while two renegade police detectives intend to see that she uses up all her nine lives in one fell swoop.

Episode 4 "The Night of the Hunters" - August 1, 2024

When Mayor Jessop assembles a task force to catch Batman, Detective Montoya is put in charge. Detectives Flass and Bullock take matters into their own hands in an attempt to trap Batman, putting Gotham in a fiery jeopardy.

Episode 5 "The Stress of Her Regard" - August 1, 2024

Someone is kidnapping and brain-washing rich, powerful men in Gotham, and Batman must find out who and why. When Barbara Gordon begins to suspect that one of her friends may be involved in the abductions, her investigation puts her on a collision course with the Dark Knight.

Episode 6 "Night Ride" - August 1, 2024

After a series of robberies in Gotham, Batman wrestles with the possibility that the culprit might be from beyond the grave. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent’s morality is tested when a generous campaign donation comes in from a most nefarious source.

Episode 7 "Moving Target" - August 1, 2024

In the aftermath of a botched assassination attempt on Commissioner Gordon’s life, Montoya vows to do everything in her power to protect Gordon. Batman’s investigation into who was behind the hit leads him down a rabbit hole with only one clear answer: trust no one.

Episode 8 "Nocturne" - August 1, 2024

When children start going missing at a Harvey Dent campaign event, Batman’s sleuthing into the underbelly of a local carnival hosting it uncovers something far more sinister.

Episode 9 "The Killer Inside Me" - August 1, 2024

After Harvey Dent’s accident, both Batman and Bruce Wayne must work to stop the DA on his quest for the wrong sort of justice.

Episode 10 "Savage Night" - August 1, 2024

In the season finale, the attempt of Barbara Gordon and Batman to keep Harvey Dent safe until he testifies in court leads to an all-out war between Gotham’s heroes and villains.

Related Threads
-Official Prime Website
-Batman: Caped Crusader News & Discussion Thread, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
-Batman: Strange Days DC Nation Short Talkback
-Batman: Year One Film Talkback

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[Frontier]

Hope everyone enjoys this season! I don't quite have a schedule conducive to straight binge-watching it so I'll probably be posting my thoughts episode by episode as I get through them .

 

[Yojimbo]

Ok, checking Prime and the episodes are live (either 12 minutes or an hour ago)!

 

[Karkull]

I've seen the first three episodes, and I am impressed. They've taken the best parts of BTAS and built upon them. I like how there's more of a slow build on Harvey Dent's eventual fall -- if you recall, the original one only appeared in "On Leather Wings" and "Pretty Poison" before he became Two-Face. Here, he's more part of the regular cast.

And I cannot say enough about Hamish Linklater. He's not Kevin Conroy, and he shouldn't have to be. His Batman and Bruce Wayne are nuanced, distinct, and have that unnerving "off" quality that the creative team was shooting for. I'd gladly watch 85 episodes with him.

On a final note, I've been saving this for a few weeks. Remember the past, embrace the future.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

Ok, checking Prime and the episodes are live (either 12 minutes or an hour ago)!

I noticed that. Maybe when a time is given for a premiere, it should include the time zone (if possible). My assumption is that the series premiered at 12:00 a.m., Pacific Time. That would have been 3:00 a.m. here in the Eastern US.

 

[Millicay]

Well, I warmed up to that intro pretty quickly.

Man, I'm so happy. Just finished watching all 10 and I can't remember the last time I had such a good experience with an animated series. Spent most of last night and today watching all episodes with a big grin on my face. Good writing! Great soundtrack! Fluid animation! (oh how I missed that last one) An art direction that seems to have taken everything I liked about the original Animated Series and amped it up to eleven! I honestly think this is my favorite animated project from DC in the last decade.

Now for some quick notes on all the episodes:

Episode 1 "In Treacherous Waters"

• Might be the weakest of the bunch, not bad, it just gets outshone by the rest. But that's kind of expected, it's mostly setting up the characters and introducing the world.
• This Bruce is great. That awkward forced smile when he shows up at the Iceberg Lounge. Not even able to come up with a different line to explain why he's drenched. Woof, this guy has a hard time at playing the socialite.
• The Iceberg Lounge having a giant top hat and umbrella reminded me of the giant props in Golden Age comics.

Episode 2 "...And Be A Villain"

• Loved this one. Those golden age of horror movie vibes. Batman sword fighting à la Robin Hood. That death trap ripped straight from The Pit and the Pendulum (also, I see you there, premiere of Gangbusters with Matt Hagen). The Basil Karlo story has always been one of my favorites and it didn't disappoint.

Episode 3 "Kiss of the Catwoman"

• It's just such a nice treat to see Catwoman in her Golden Age outfit. I like this version, adds some levity to what could be a pretty dark series otherwise. Chuckled hard at the maid in the end, good for her. Also might be looking too hard but I'm pretty sure that Batman bandaging Catwoman is ripped straight from her first appearance.
• Still, the standout of the episode is the Alfred/flashback scenes. Great insight into Bruce and Alfred's relationship. And that last scene of Alfred running towards the alley... oof. Good stuff.
• Catmobile!

Episode 4 "The Night of the Hunters"

• it might be Vicky Vale, but she sure looks like Lois Lane from Fleischer Superman in the press!
• This really feels like Caped Crusader's version of Year One. Flass, the police hunting Batman, the "traps", Batman against the cops in the burning building, the alliance with Gordon... great in the comic, great in the movie, and now great in the show. You're bound to get a good GCPD story when Brubaker is involved.

Episode 5 "The Stress of Her Regard"

• If you had told me King Tut would show up in the dark, gritty noir Batman show I wouldn't have believed you. Great to see him.
• "Mmm... puddin'"
• That microfilm is full of stuff. Ferris Boyle, Dr. March, Sal Valestra, Mayor Hill, Stromwell, Arthur Reeves, Jonathan Crane, references to Pretty Poison, The Forgotten, The Terrible Trio, Prophecy of Doom, P.O.V, even the fan favorite I've Got Batman in my Basement!
• I liked this version of Harley. Not really a villain, more of a hardcore vigilante. Sure, maybe she chose some rather peculiar punishments but everyone's got a right to their eccentricities.

Episode 6 "Night Ride"

• As with Ep. 3, I'm a sucker for horror themed episodes and this was no exception. The action scenes make good use of Gentleman Ghost's abilities and it has a great supernatural finale.
• Batman's voice slightly cracking when he realizes Alfred is alive. Good job, Linklater.

Episode 7 "Moving Target"

• This one especially reminded me of that idea in the original BTAS that every episode should feel like a mini movie. A great little crime thriller with a great set piece for the finale.

Episode 8 "Nocturne"

• Robins galore! I still don't think we'll ever get a Robin in this series but it's nice to see that they're out there. And Julie Madison!
• Gotta say, Nocturna's face while draining the energy from the kids... creepy, scary stuff. Pretty sure we wouldn't have seen this in BTAS.
• That ending... as dark and broody as he may be, Batman will always have compassion for a kid who has just lost her family.

Episode 9 "The Killer Inside Me"

• I haven't really talked about Harvey yet. As with Harleen and Nocturna, Harvey isn't really good or bad, he's far from perfect but not the worst of Gotham's bunch either. As Karkull said, it really helps that we get to see more of him as Harvey before his transformation.

Episode 10 "Savage Night"

• A great season finale. All of Gotham's guardians joining forces to help Harvey.
• When the first pictures came out I really wasn't sure about the Two-Face design, and later wondered if it had something to do with the story. And I think it does, Harvey never becomes Two-Face really, sure, he has outbursts, but never really loses sight of who he is, so it kinda makes sense that even visually he's not as "black and white" as previous interpretations.
• Now that's how you do a scene of Batman with a gun! Gotta say, I really thought he might do it! It's Golden Age Batman after all, still was pleasantly surprised he didn't. Batman sticks to his vows. Probably my favorite scene of the series.
• "Thank you, Pe-- Alfred." Ow, my heart!
• Golden Age Joker is next and I couldn't be happier!

And again, can't overstate just how good the soundtrack is through every episode. Frederik Wiedmann hitting it outta the park.

If I had one complaint, it's that I think I would have preferred a weekly release for the episodes, I like having something to look forward to every week and I feel that helps to keep the shows more alive in people's minds, it's worked pretty well for My Adventures with Superman.

In conclusion, can't wait for Season 2!

 

[Sparklefan1234]

My favorite things about Batman: Caped Crusader season 1 were:

Harley Quinn's new look + personality.

Barbara Gordon's character design.

The backgrounds and background music.

The main thing I didn't like was Harvey Dent/Two-Face design

because it felt like I was watching "The New Batman Adventures".

 

[21C]

Watched the show and loved it. Hamish is brilliant as Bruce and I really, really, really loved this colder take on the character. His Bruce Wayne especially is as excellent as Timm had put it, and I loved this take on Catwoman as well, in fact I actually prefer her to the DCAU counterpart. Harley Quinn reinvention was cool, enjoyed seeing the

Spoiler

Robins

and Diedrich did pretty good as Dent. If I had one critique is that I feel that Batman in that very last episode kinda felt like an afterthought by a certain point, and I get the idea of keeping him at a distance but I did feel that in that particular episode it was a bit too much, didn't even feel like he particularly moved the story forward.

I'm hoping to get even more Bruce Wayne in Season 2. Also more femme fatales, that'd be fun. This is a noir, we need more femme fatales each season!


Also, sorry to bring this up again, but it is kinda funny how this is the one take on Barbara and Bruce since 1967 where it should be completely uncontroversial to ship the two yet it won't happen here. They're the same age and in many ways she seems like his perfect match as she shares his exact same obsession and they're already working together, she also seems like the only woman that might be able to put up with him as he really is. And she's certainly never gonna be Dick Grayson's girlfriend.
I mean, I'm fine if it doesn't happen, I know that's not the plan at all currently, but I'm just saying Bruce, if whatever story you guys do on season 2, 3, 4, etc and the ways these characters develop would lead to that scenario being interesting, well, just take it, ignore all the noise and the previous ridiculous complaints around you. It reaaally shouldn't be a problem in this take, and I honestly think that should be beyond obvious to anyone that watched this season. The problem previously was the "she's younger" thing, which she's not here.

 

[Yojimbo]

Episode 1

What a way to ring in the series by blowing up GCPD!

The giant umbrella disguised as a military grade cannon also made me think of the classic comics.

There's a Batsub! But oof, that same scene implied a lot. All those people Penguin killed all over the river bed.

That's pretty neat that of the two it's Barbara who sees Batman for the first time rather than Jim.

Animation-snob hat on, it's 2024 and still studios can't hide a 3D vehicle in a 2D show? And with it being only 10 episodes, it was a little surprising they went with 2 Korean studios and no Japanese studios (latter would cost a bit more but wouldn't it yield better quality animation... though seems like around 2012 TMS stopped doing DC animation.) I'm not the biggest fan of IAM either, it was decent animation so far. But we'll see with the rest of the season.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

I'm starting to wonder if Barbera will put on a costume eventually (if the show lasts long enough), not as Batgirl, but as Batwoman?

 

[Yojimbo]

I'm starting to wonder if Barbera will put on a costume eventually (if the show lasts long enough), not as Batgirl, but as Batwoman?

Timm has been fairly adamant Batman will be the only one.

 

[Pfeiffer-Pfan]

When I get a little more time, I will try to write up my thoughts on each episode. However, after finishing the first season, I just wanted to share my initial reaction.

---

This was by far my most anticipated project of the last few years and it was so nice to get a simple, contained season of television without a ''spot the cameo'' (for the most part) or ''lean on the multiverse'' trope anywhere to be seen. It is clear to see the passion and determination that everyone is bringing to this series and I absolutely loved it. Everything felt... subdued, but in an enjoyable and classy way. The writing is sublime, the music predictably outstanding and the animation beautiful to look at. Just a few more observations:

- I can't avoid the elephant in the room, so... could this show potentially knock B:TAS off it's 32 year perch for me? I honestly don't think so. B:TAS felt archetypal and beyond iconic. It's visuals, music, voice acting hits you up the face and present a Batman that feels timeless. B:CC feels like a very particular vision with the parameters heavily set. B:TAS was BATMAN. CAPED CRUSADER is... Batman through a 1940's lens (Doesn't mean I don't love it though). Does that make sense to anyone?

- I simply have to praise the music again, but I will admit I do miss a more memorable theme for Batman. Regardless, Wiedmann always delivers.

- As much as I think the animation is beautiful, and I most certainly know nothing about what it takes to make a show like this, can someone tell me how the show has been ''Utilizing state-of-the-art animation techniques and technologies available'' (as stated in the original press release) to differentiate it from anything else recently?

- Hamish Linklater - A wonderful actor who did a brilliant job throughout all 10 episodes. His Bruce Wayne is excellent and his Batman is quite effective. However, the Batman voice does sound strained at times, like he's really trying to squeak the words out. He doesn't come close to the power of Kevin Conroy, but I have confidence he will grow into the role and make it his own in time.

---

Overall, a fantastic series from Timm and Co. I'll be going back to savor the series at a much slower pace now. The team deserves all the praise they are getting and I cannot wait for season two. Despite my few little quibbles above, rest assured that this just became one of my favorite shows ever and I will be championing it all the way.

 

[Classic Speedy]

Watched episode 1 so far. It definitely feels like a spiritual successor to B:TAS both in art style and tone, which seems to be what they were going for, so in that sense the show succeeds.

Love the backgrounds which really feel like they stepped out of 1992. The animation is... fine, nothing really wrong with it, but it feels more stiff than the fluid animation of B:TAS. And maybe this is an unfair comparison, but it especially looked lacking when right before it, I watched the seventh episode of Suicide Squad Isekai which was bursting with full and dynamic animation and camera work.

Penguin retooled into a woman? Not gonna lie, that took some getting used to. That's to be expected when you have one version in your head for literally decades. By the end of the episode I was on board but it definitely threw me at first.

Loved how the first episode wasn't just a supervillain story, it brought us into the organized crime world and Rupert Thorne again. Enjoyed the ending where Batman rationalizes he failed because he didn't keep the two crime factions in balance.

The Batman/Bruce Wayne dynamic was done well here, allowing Hamish Linklater to show his range, as wide a range as Batman allows of course.

Music's great. Frederik Wiedmann definitely captured the spirit of Shirley Walker's grandiose themes. Glad they didn't just go with something synthesized. The opening theme feels a lot more somber than the triumphant and exciting one for B:TAS though.

Misgivings aside, I'll definitely be watching more. As someone whose first exposure to Batman was TAS, I'm glad we're getting a new series in that vein.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

Timm has been fairly adamant Batman will be the only one.

You're probably right, but who knows what the future may bring?

 

[Medinnus]

I am enjoying the character appearances of the civilian identities from the established continuities, like the multiplicity of Robins, even the Spectre.

 

[Frontier]

Episode 1 "In Treacherous Waters"

You know, it's really nice hearing Jeff Bennett in a DC Superhero cartoon again .

I like how they had Penguin in silhouette to give you the illusion it's the same old Penguin unless you'd been paying any attention to this show in the news .

Is there any better way of introducing Batman than watching him scare and beat up on thugs so effectively and efficiently ?

This ain't your daddies Batman cartoon! People explicitly die and curse !

I really get the vibe that this version of Batman doesn't value criminal lives that much. You end up getting shot while in a struggle with him? Not his problem. A bunch get blown up? On to the next thing. End up getting tossed into the water? Hope you can swim. Really get this vibe that he only draws the line at explicitly killing people .

It really sets the tone for Bruce and Alfred's relationship that he just calls him "Pennyworth." Like, that's what Damian calls him, not Bruce, and there's usually a reason for that. It feels like Bruce is deliberately trying to keep a professional detachment from like the only guy on his side, even though Alfred is, as always, loyally serving and trying to take care of him. But to Batman he can only be a chauffeur to Bruce Wayne and someone to go over cases with. Batman also does not have a high opinion of Gotham, not that you can blame him .

Feels like Barbara has had the most all over the place career trajectory of any character in the mythos. Librarian? High school/college student? Computer wiz? Police commissioner? Why not just make her a defense attorney? It does lend itself to Barbara's strong sense of justice and sense of duty to others, even if it also feels very...Laurel Lance from Arrow (which is especially funny knowing how close Barbara and Dinah are in the comics). Krystal Joy Brown definitely has Babs' pointed sass and grit down to pat Also I'm glad they realized that even if you race-bend Barbara, she still has to have red hair .

You start out voicing the hero that you live long enough to end up voicing the villain...well, actually, Diedrich Bader has jumped the moral line of Superhero shows constantly so I guess that doesn't quite work but I guess that also makes him the perfect fit to voice the latest animated iteration of Harvey Dent. And at this point it feels like they've mined Harvey as a tragic, sympathetic, figure so much that now series are going tin the OTHER direction and just straight up making him a smarmy, unlikable, corrupt jerk even before he becomes Two-Face. Though it does make you wonder if he was always like that or if becoming the DA and having to keep his conviction numbers up changed him .

I do find it funny how Harvey has his B:TAS lips but a hairstyle that makes him look even more like a tool .

That GCPD secretary looked like Selina to me, same hairstyle and she had like a cat ear silhouette when she turned around. Am I overthinking it? I'm overthinking it .

I like that this version of Batman is so hardcore and cold that you're left wondering "he would've pulled that guy up even if he hadn't talked, right? RIGHT?" .

I gotta admit I still have mixed feelings about their take on the Penguin. Like, does it work in the context of the series? Yes. Does it still ultimately feel like The Penguin, the monocled and umbrella-using Super-Criminal who acts all charming and classy but is secretly a ruthless bird of prey? Yes. Did Minne Driver kill it? Of course she did (though I was genuinely expecting Penguin to have an accent). But it also feels like they did what most gender-flips do where they take a less than attractive male character and then very much pretty them up when they make them a woman. Gone is the short, pudgy, and literal Penguin looking man and now we've got a big, beautiful, woman who oozes charisma (even if it's just a front). Also I couldn't help but think that with her outfit she looked like Zatanna which is probably the closest to Zee showing up in this show until Paul Dini writes an episode :rolleyeyes2:.

(Also, I don't care if it's a real name, Oswalda still sounds ridiculous )

I like their take on Rupert Thorne. He's just a normal gangster but while barely lifting a finger he manages to pull one over on everyone and come out on top...so arguably even more effective than B:TAS Thorne .

Barbara may not like having to attend functions as her dads' plus one, but as always she and Jim are super tight (and Babs looks amazing in a dress), and Jim can use the help when he's still one of the only honest cops in Gotham and has to work around a vigilante he still hasn't even met yet .

I like how Harvey Bullock looks exactly like he does in B:TAS, he just has a mustache. It's almost like he's the mirror universe version of Harvey .

Hey, Flass! Haven't seen him in animation since Year One. Though it feels like they've kind of split his character up with Bullock where he's the one dwelling in the excess of being corrupt while Bullock is the dumb muscle .

I found Alfred driving a boat so Bruce can get on the Iceberg Lounge (that I like is a ship now) more amusing than I think it was intended to be. Also, does that boat come in black so we can get the Bat-Boat ?

The making of any good Batman is how well they pull off not only the Caped Crusader but also his alter ego and being able to distinguish the two, and Hamish Linklater achieves that in spades and following in the legacy of Kevin Conroy. One minute he's a cold and emotional creature of the night, the next he's a ditzy playboy who knows how to flirt with women. Of course what is really the heart of the character, and the performance, is seeing the real Bruce Wayne behind both identities

Also, Bruce and Harvey Dent are pals again! Though it's probably one-sided .

It's kind of interesting that this is the first adaption to really lean into Penguin having kids, even if they're still a terrible parent. I wonder, if this had been B:TAS, would Batman have saved him ?

No self-respecting attorney in Gotham doesn't own a bat! Though Barbara is also packing some heat as well .

The Batmobile looks like a more compact version of the B:TAS Batmobile. All the better for sidewinding people. But hey, he even did the Batman nod of approval !

I love how they make you think at times that this is a grounded, gritty, crime drama and then you have Penguin with a giant canon on her ship that she's blowing buildings up with and Batman with a legit Bat-Sub. The Golden Age was still pretty wild .

I think it really shows just how genuinely heroic this version of Barbara is that she went out of her way to save a woman handcuffed in the GCPD so she didn't get caught in the explosion. Someone others would dismiss as a criminal and not worth the effort and she still tries to save them (though I do kind of wonder what she was arrested for). It stands out even more that Bullock left her there because I don't think even B:TAS Bullock would have done that. I'm not sure if this version of Batman would have saved her either .

I love Batman doing his classic disappearing act for the first time while leaving Penguin handcuffed on top of her boat .

Renee Montoya cameo! Kind of surreal seeing her in a skirt and looking more...cute? Than she did in B:TAS .

Dang, they blew up the GCPD in the first episode! Usually that's reserved for like the season finale .

The Batman is able to stop The Penguin but that just gives Rupert Thorne the opportunity to continue building up his crime business. And Bruce internalizes this as a failure that can never happen again, which I think speaks to his mindset and how much he's using Batman and his ability to stop crimes as a coping mechanism .

 

[-batmat-]

Binge watched all 10 episodes last night with a friend. I do want to rewatch them and give each episode more comments, but overall, I liked it, but I felt a little underwhelmed through the whole thing, like @Pfeiffer-Pfan said "everything felt subduded" I agree with that. But I'm not sure if it's because of the massive hype I had considering I've been waiting for this series for so long, or is it the content itself.

I do liked a lot so much stuff in it, maybe not so much other stuff. But after a rewatch I feel I will close in on my true feelings for the show and share more thoughts here episode by episode.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

Feels like Barbara has had the most all over the place career trajectory of any character in the mythos. Librarian? High school/college student? Computer wiz? Police commissioner? Why not just make her a defense attorney? It does lend itself to Barbara's strong sense of justice and sense of duty to others, even if it also feels very...Laurel Lance from Arrow (which is especially funny knowing how close Barbara and Dinah are in the comics). Krystal Joy Brown definitely has Babs' pointed sass and grit down to pat Also I'm glad they realized that even if you race-bend Barbara, she still has to have red hair

Don't forget that Barbera was also a U.S. Gongresswoman for a while! Truly a Renaissance woman.

 

[b.t.]

Episode 1 "In Treacherous Waters"

You know, it's really nice hearing Jeff Bennett in a DC Superhero cartoon again .

I like how they had Penguin in silhouette to give you the illusion it's the same old Penguin unless you'd been paying any attention to this show in the news .

Is there any better way of introducing Batman than watching him scare and beat up on thugs so effectively and efficiently ?

This ain't your daddies Batman cartoon! People explicitly die and curse !

I really get the vibe that this version of Batman doesn't value criminal lives that much. You end up getting shot while in a struggle with him? Not his problem. A bunch get blown up? On to the next thing. End up getting tossed into the water? Hope you can swim. Really get this vibe that he only draws the line at explicitly killing people .

It really sets the tone for Bruce and Alfred's relationship that he just calls him "Pennyworth." Like, that's what Damian calls him, not Bruce, and there's usually a reason for that. It feels like Bruce is deliberately trying to keep a professional detachment from like the only guy on his side, even though Alfred is, as always, loyally serving and trying to take care of him. But to Batman he can only be a chauffeur to Bruce Wayne and someone to go over cases with. Batman also does not have a high opinion of Gotham, not that you can blame him .

Feels like Barbara has had the most all over the place career trajectory of any character in the mythos. Librarian? High school/college student? Computer wiz? Police commissioner? Why not just make her a defense attorney? It does lend itself to Barbara's strong sense of justice and sense of duty to others, even if it also feels very...Laurel Lance from Arrow (which is especially funny knowing how close Barbara and Dinah are in the comics). Krystal Joy Brown definitely has Babs' pointed sass and grit down to pat Also I'm glad they realized that even if you race-bend Barbara, she still has to have red hair .

You start out voicing the hero that you live long enough to end up voicing the villain...well, actually, Diedrich Bader has jumped the moral line of Superhero shows constantly so I guess that doesn't quite work but I guess that also makes him the perfect fit to voice the latest animated iteration of Harvey Dent. And at this point it feels like they've mined Harvey as a tragic, sympathetic, figure so much that now series are going tin the OTHER direction and just straight up making him a smarmy, unlikable, corrupt jerk even before he becomes Two-Face. Though it does make you wonder if he was always like that or if becoming the DA and having to keep his conviction numbers up changed him .

I do find it funny how Harvey has his B:TAS lips but a hairstyle that makes him look even more like a tool .

That GCPD secretary looked like Selina to me, same hairstyle and she had like a cat ear silhouette when she turned around. Am I overthinking it? I'm overthinking it .

I like that this version of Batman is so hardcore and cold that you're left wondering "he would've pulled that guy up even if he hadn't talked, right? RIGHT?" .

I gotta admit I still have mixed feelings about their take on the Penguin. Like, does it work in the context of the series? Yes. Does it still ultimately feel like The Penguin, the monocled and umbrella-using Super-Criminal who acts all charming and classy but is secretly a ruthless bird of prey? Yes. Did Minne Driver kill it? Of course she did (though I was genuinely expecting Penguin to have an accent). But it also feels like they did what most gender-flips do where they take a less than attractive male character and then very much pretty them up when they make them a woman. Gone is the short, pudgy, and literal Penguin looking man and now we've got a big, beautiful, woman who oozes charisma (even if it's just a front). Also I couldn't help but think that with her outfit she looked like Zatanna which is probably the closest to Zee showing up in this show until Paul Dini writes an episode :rolleyeyes2:.

(Also, I don't care if it's a real name, Oswalda still sounds ridiculous )

I like their take on Rupert Thorne. He's just a normal gangster but while barely lifting a finger he manages to pull one over on everyone and come out on top...so arguably even more effective than B:TAS Thorne .

Barbara may not like having to attend functions as her dads' plus one, but as always she and Jim are super tight (and Babs looks amazing in a dress), and Jim can use the help when he's still one of the only honest cops in Gotham and has to work around a vigilante he still hasn't even met yet .

I like how Harvey Bullock looks exactly like he does in B:TAS, he just has a mustache. It's almost like he's the mirror universe version of Harvey .

Hey, Flass! Haven't seen him in animation since Year One. Though it feels like they've kind of split his character up with Bullock where he's the one dwelling in the excess of being corrupt while Bullock is the dumb muscle .

I found Alfred driving a boat so Bruce can get on the Iceberg Lounge (that I like is a ship now) more amusing than I think it was intended to be. Also, does that boat come in black so we can get the Bat-Boat ?

The making of any good Batman is how well they pull off not only the Caped Crusader but also his alter ego and being able to distinguish the two, and Hamish Linklater achieves that in spades and following in the legacy of Kevin Conroy. One minute he's a cold and emotional creature of the night, the next he's a ditzy playboy who knows how to flirt with women. Of course what is really the heart of the character, and the performance, is seeing the real Bruce Wayne behind both identities

Also, Bruce and Harvey Dent are pals again! Though it's probably one-sided .

It's kind of interesting that this is the first adaption to really lean into Penguin having kids, even if they're still a terrible parent. I wonder, if this had been B:TAS, would Batman have saved him ?

No self-respecting attorney in Gotham doesn't own a bat! Though Barbara is also packing some heat as well .

The Batmobile looks like a more compact version of the B:TAS Batmobile. All the better for sidewinding people. But hey, he even did the Batman nod of approval !

I love how they make you think at times that this is a grounded, gritty, crime drama and then you have Penguin with a giant canon on her ship that she's blowing buildings up with and Batman with a legit Bat-Sub. The Golden Age was still pretty wild .

I think it really shows just how genuinely heroic this version of Barbara is that she went out of her way to save a woman handcuffed in the GCPD so she didn't get caught in the explosion. Someone others would dismiss as a criminal and not worth the effort and she still tries to save them (though I do kind of wonder what she was arrested for). It stands out even more that Bullock left her there because I don't think even B:TAS Bullock would have done that. I'm not sure if this version of Batman would have saved her either .

I love Batman doing his classic disappearing act for the first time while leaving Penguin handcuffed on top of her boat .

Renee Montoya cameo! Kind of surreal seeing her in a skirt and looking more...cute? Than she did in B:TAS .

Dang, they blew up the GCPD in the first episode! Usually that's reserved for like the season finale .

The Batman is able to stop The Penguin but that just gives Rupert Thorne the opportunity to continue building up his crime business. And Bruce internalizes this as a failure that can never happen again, which I think speaks to his mindset and how much he's using Batman and his ability to stop crimes as a coping mechanism .

Not only does Barbara still have red hair, we gave her two different colored outfits, and whenever she has to go into action, we make sure she’s wearing the purple one

And as for her keeping a Louisville Slugger in her office — I don’t actually have to say it, do I?

 

[Dallas Kinard]

So Bruce are we to believe this series is canon to the Max Fleischer Superman shorts due to Lois Lane's appearance?